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But what more can happen between us? Seriously? Soon they will kick me out of here and never think of me again. But I will be left with the endless imprints on my mind.
Of course, I can’t forget the fiery moments I’ve had here too, all with Colt. The fire of his presence burns through the cold veneer that has become my armor. The memory of that strike, the sharp sound of my fist connecting with his jaw – it was an explosion of frustration, a release of pent up emotions that had found an outlet in the heat of the moment.
But even as anger surged through my veins, so did something else. Something more tumultuous, something I have yet to understand. Because despite the violence, despite the stark clash of our wills, Colt was the one to find me and bring me back here when I’m sure he’s sick of me. He could have let me go and never had to deal with me again. But he didn’t…
He brought me back topunishme. If we can call it that. I don’t know how I should feel about the spanking, but it’s been on my mind endlessly. It was a clash of dominance and defiance in the moment. It was a twisted dance, a push and pull of desires and boundaries that left me reeling, questioning my own reactions. Did I like that? I really did like it. I likehim, I think.
As I contemplate why I might feel this way, I realize that Colt’s presence in my life has awoken something within me. A thirst for authenticity, a yearning to embrace the messy, raw edges of who I am. His fire has illuminated the darkness that has settled over my heart, and in doing so, has ignited a fire of my own. One that might not be so easy to put out.
Just like Maddox, and what he’s done to me as well. What an unexpected treat the man with the gun has become. I never would have thought that he could be so nice… but he has been, he really has. The memory of him tending to me, his care evident in every gesture as he washed me, lingers in my mind like a fragile whisper. In the moments the water cascaded over my skin while he was touching me, there had been a fleeting sense of normalcy and excitement, a fleeting taste of what life might have been like if circumstances were different. How things could have been if we’d met under better circumstances so we could just be together maybe.
I mean, we have a lot in common, so it really could be a thing. If it wasn’t for the kidnapping. Oh, and the other men of course. I’m weirdly attracted to them all.
As the night wears on, I let the rhythm of my breathing guide me, grounding me in the present moment. The desires might still linger beneath the surface, but I have to navigate this labyrinthine world with a clear head, refusing to let my heart’s whispers lead me astray.
As if on cue, the door swings open, reminding me about the outside world, revealing Ryker dressed in a sleek black suit that seems to accentuate the intensity in his gaze. His presence is like a bolt of lightning, electrifying the very air around him. My heart pounds in my chest, a mix of anger and defiance surging through my veins as I bolt up into a sitting position.
Before I can even fully process his appearance, instinct takes over. My muscles coil with tension, and in an instant, I’m on my feet and sprinting towards him, fueled by a fury that has been building for far too long. My fists clench, my jaw sets with a fighter’s spirit, determined to confront him, to demand answers, to shatter the chains that bind us to this twisted dance.
He got me in this mess, and he needs to be the one to get me out of it.
But reality crashes back down on me like a tidal wave. The chains, those cruel reminders of my captivity, yank me back with brutal force, halting my charge in its tracks. The impact is jarring, the metal links biting into my skin like the cruel talons of a predator, imprisoning me once more in a web of confinement, nearly causing me to tumble back in a pathetic heap on the floor.
“Enough, Lily,” Ryker’s voice is a low, controlled growl, an echo of the power he holds over me. He approaches, his steps unhurried despite the tension in the air. “Did you really think you could break free that easily? Come on, you’ve been here long enough to know that won’t work.”
My breath comes in ragged gasps as I struggle against the chains, my heart pounding, not just from the physical effort, but from the clash of emotions that threaten to overwhelm me. Anger, fear, frustration, they swirl together, a maelstrom of feelings I can barely contain. HowdareRyker speak to me like this? How can he tease me when I’m in such a mess?
“You can’t keep me here forever,” I spit out, the words punctuated by a raw edge of desperation. “You can’t keep this up forever. Have you even bothered to meet with my father yet?”
The chains rattle as I strain against them, a wild, primal frustration coursing through me. My gaze locks with his, a volatile mix of anger and determination. In that moment, it’s as if the chains are a physical manifestation of the binds that shackle my soul, the conflict that wages within me. Fucking Ryker, what the hell is he playing at?
“Lily,” Ryker starts, his voice a mere whisper, laced with a complex array of emotions – regret, earnestness, and something that resembles hope. “Listen to me.”
I meet his gaze, my expression guarded, my heart a tangle of unresolved emotions. My name hangs between us, like a bridge waiting to be crossed, a bridge that will take us to the heart of the truth that has remained elusive. Heneedsto be honest with me now, he has to be.
He takes another step forward, his gaze locks with mine, a fire of determination burning in his eyes. “I need you to understand,” he begins, his words measured, as though he’s carefully choosing each one. “That things aren’t exactly going the way I planned.”
I watch him, waiting, allowing the space between us to be a canvas upon which his intentions can unfold. There’s a heaviness in the air, an unspoken tension that hangs like a fog.
“After that first night together,” he continues, his voice carrying a weight of its own, “I didn’t want things to be like this. If it were up to me, I’d have abandoned this whole plan a while ago.”
My brow furrows, confusion knitting my features. Ryker’s admission is unexpected, a crack in the façade of the leader who has seemed so unyielding. It’s as though a curtain has been drawn back, revealing the vulnerability beneath.
“So, why haven’t you abandoned it then?” I demand, needing an explanation.
He draws a deep breath, his eyes never leaving mine. “But things changed. Your father... he’s become too powerful for his own good. His reach extends far beyond what we imagined, and if we don’t put a stop to him, the consequences could be catastrophic.”
The weight of his words settles on me, the truth of his revelations sinking in. I don’t know much about what my father is up to, he never tells me, but I know it’s never good, and if what Ryker is saying is the truth, then I guess someone needs to do something. The more power that man gets, the more danger he puts everyone in. Even my mother being killed by his rival when I was only twelve years old didn’t change him. Not for the better anyway. Everything after that only seemed to make him worse. But I don’t know if I like what’s happening anyway. I don’t want to be trapped here, and I also don’t want Ryker to be the one to confront him. It’s too dangerous!
“I know this isn’t what you signed up for,” Ryker’s voice holds a note of apology, a glimpse of the understanding he has for me. “I want you to know that every decision I’ve made, every action I’ve taken, it’s been with the intent of protecting our pack, of protecting you too.”
Protecting me?That doesn’t make too much sense. The air is charged with an electricity that matches the storm brewing within me as I face Ryker, the man who has become both an enigma and a force of undeniable influence in my life in the short time that I have known him.
“I don’t understand,” I finally manage to spit out. “I don’t feel protected here.”
“Hmph,” he scoffs barely acknowledging me. “But you are.”
Fury courses through my veins, a seething anger that seems to consume all rational thought. Is he dismissing me completely? I won’t let that happen.
